2012 Annual Meeting

AASCU’s Annual Meeting provides the opportunity for presidents and chancellors to examine critical national issues and the leadership required to help our students succeed and our institutions thrive into the future. Addressing timely topics, the Annual Meeting is your definitive resource for addressing the issues facing your campus, for providing leadership to meet those challenges and for learning what is working on campuses across the nation.

About the Conference

Invitation from the Chair of AASCU’s Board of Directors

Addressing the American Challenge

There are countless challenges facing American higher education, but from the oval office to the corner office none are viewed as more urgent than closing the achievement gap. President Obama has called for “out-educating our competitors,” with a goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Implications of a persistent achievement gap resonate throughout American society, with concerns about global competitiveness, workforce needs and quality of life issues including constraints on upward mobility. For AASCU institutions, this raises important questions: What strategies are needed to close the achievement gap and which ones are our institutions uniquely positioned to affect? AASCU colleges and universities have long been institutions of access; the current challenge is how to become more effective as institutions of student success. The 2012 Annual Meeting will address the challenge of providing transformational leadership for colleges and universities to close the achievement gap and prepare students for the 21st century.

I hope you will join us and lend your voice to this important dialogue.

Presidents and Chancellors—$625Presidents or chancellors of an AASCU member institution or system, or associate members of AASCU.

Spouses/Partners of Presidents and Chancellors—No registration feePayment is required for ticketed events.

Affiliate Fellow and Honorary Members (former presidents and chancellors)Registration is complimentary for those who have left the presidency and are current in their annual AASCU membership dues. Those who have moved to another presidency receive complimentary registration for the first year and thereafter pay the regular fee. All members registering as an Affiliate Fellow or Honorary Member will be identified by their most recent AASCU affiliation.

Executive Search Firm Participation—$2,000Opportunities are available for Executive Search Firms who wish to participate in the Annual Meeting. For more information, please email Kevin Finkelstein.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship Opportunities—Begin at the $7,500 levelEntities seeking sponsorship opportunities with AASCU's Annual Meeting should fill out the following form to qualify: www.aascu.org/meetings/sponsorship/

Attendance at the Annual Meeting is strictly limited to AASCU member presidents and chancellors, former presidents and chancellors who are AASCU Affiliate Members, their spouses or partners and invited guests.

Payment is due in full by the start of the Annual Meeting (October 29, 2012).

To register, please select:

Register and pay online. (Available to AASCU members or anyone who has attended the Annual Meeting in the past). Current Presidents and Chancellors should use this option.

Register via the downloadable registration form, to be mailed or faxed in. (Available to all registrants, but required for those who are not an AASCU member or who have never attended the Annual Meeting in the past). Affiliate Members, Executive Search Firm participants and Invited Guests should use this option.

Reserve accommodations early (no later than Monday, October 1, 2012).AASCU is holding a block of rooms at the conference rate, but because New Orleans is a popular destination, we cannot guarantee accommodations will be available after the October 1 cut off. Once AASCU’s rooms are taken, overflow alternatives will be listed on this website.

A first night's deposit is required to confirm a reservation.

Reference AASCU for the group rate of $235/night for single or double occupancy, plus 13% sales tax and $2 city and occupancy tax.Reserve online here

Phone 800.925.3673

Please Note: At this time, The Roosevelt can only honor the $235/night conference rate for reservations that begin on Monday, October 29. For individuals who wish to arrive earlier (the Annual Meeting officially begins on Monday, October 29), AASCU has reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn, located 2 ½ blocks from the Roosevelt hotel (821 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA 70112). Rates are $269/night for single or double occupancy, plus 13% sales tax and $1 Convention Center tax. Reservations can be made by calling 877.253.6148 and referencing the “AASCU Annual Meeting.” Alternatively, reservations can be made online by clicking here.

Disability Needs/Special Requests

Indicate any disability-related requirements or special preferences when making the reservation.The Roosevelt New Orleans reservations department will try to accommodate requests.

Air Travel

Most participants will arrive Sunday, October 28 and depart Wednesday, October 31.Fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (about 12.7 miles or 25 minutes from The Roosevelt).

Ground Transportation

Airport TransfersShared van rates are $38/person round trip or $20/person one way. Please be advised that each guest is allowed two bags, and there are additional charges for extra bags. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by visiting: http://www.airportshuttleneworleans.com/

TaxiTaxi fares from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to The Roosevelt are a flat rate of $33 each way, accommodating one or two passengers.

Car RentalHertz is offering discounted rates for rental cars for the Annual Meeting. Rates are guaranteed from October 21 through October 27, subject to car availability, from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Rentals may have airport fees, surcharges and motor vehicle fees related to car rental, which are separate charges from tax. Call the Hertz Meeting Sales Desk at 800.654.2240 and mention the code Hertz CV#011B0075. (All “0” are zeros). Hertz will provide the best rates available. Standard rental conditions and qualifications apply. Advanced reservations recommended.Reserve online here

Sunday, Oct. 28

A two-hour cruise takes one back to when life was as slow and graceful as the current on the Mississippi. Enjoy lunch onboard and experience one of the world’s most active ports, best viewed from the river, aboard New Orleans’ only authentic steamboat, NATCHEZ. Following the cruise, board the minibus for a city tour that highlights the French Quarter and Esplanade Avenue towards Bayou Saint John. Visit one of New Orleans’ famous above ground cemeteries and learn how burial traditions reflect a unique culture. See New Orleans’ City Park, home of Besthoff Sculpture Garden and New Orleans Museum of Art. View the historic Lakefront area, sights of the Riverbend area as well as the magnificent homes along St. Charles Avenue. The tour provides an overview of the Crescent City and a leisurely luncheon cruise.

Monday, Oct. 29

Opening Lunch - $50

Tour: New Orleans Jazz Walking Tour - $459:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Explore one of the world’s richest musical cities, starting with a look inside the legendary Preservation Hall. Stroll through the Tango Belt to the New Orleans Musicians’ Tomb in St. Louis Cemetery #1, donated by the musical dynasty Barbarin family for free burial of musicians. Check out the remains of Storyville, including Quinn Early’s Saloon where “Pretty Baby” was written. Stroll through the fabled turn-of-the-century red light-district whose parlors presented the likes of King Oliver, Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet and others when jazz was just in its infancy. From Basin Street Station, venture into Louis Armstrong Park, site of Congo Square, the historic site of African slave gatherings. Congo Square is the only place in North America where pure West African religious rituals and musical traditions were performed and is considered the wellspring of all New Orleans music. Step inside the building that housed the legendary J&M Studios, creator of the “New Orleans Sound” with such New Orleanians as Professor Longhair, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Guitar Slim, Shirley & Lee, Lloyd Price, Ernie K-Doe, Allen Toussaint, Clarence “Frogman” Henry and visitors including Little Richard, Ray Charles, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Learn about today’s music scene playing out in clubs such as Donna’s Brass Band Headquarters and enjoy The French Quarter’s street musicians, carrying on New Orleans’ musical traditions today.

Former Presidents, Chancellors and Spouses Dinner - $75

Tuesday, Oct. 30

President-to-Presidents Lecture Luncheon - $50

Tour: Private Homes of the Grand Avenues - $782:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

This motor coach tour is of homes in two of New Orleans’ most famous neighborhoods: the Faubourg Marigny and the University District areas. The Faubourg Marigny is vibrant with Creole roots and contrasts to the gracious and stately University District that embodies the grandeur of Southern aristocracy, steeped in history and in legend.

Visit the Blanda House, listed on the Historic Register, built in 1872 by Estelle Musson, sister-in-law of the world-renowned artist, Edgar Degas. The exterior is completely authentic and the interior ceilings are adorned with masterful plaster medallions. The owner will share details of the furnishings and stories of the house. Onto the University District, where the Garden District evolved, mainly between 1840 and 1900, and boasts one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the South. The spacious home sites and rich, garden-ready soil attracted wealthy New Orleanians, particularly the many well-heeled Americans who flooded the city after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Disdained by the old French Creole gentry in the French Quarter, these new arrivals thumbed their noses at the Creoles by constructing sumptuous mansions and thus, the Garden District was born. Enjoy St. Charles Avenue, lined with 150 year-old live oaks, antebellum plantation homes and historic streetcars. Visit an historic home in the University District that reflects life in this area in the 1800’s, complete with verdant gardens, cherished antiques and artwork. The owners will recall the house’s rich history and offer insights into life in this area of New Orleans.